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[[File:Gamers.org Logo.gif|right|thumb|132x40px|Gamers.org logo]]The '''idgames archive''' (or ''/idgames archive'') is the largest online archive of levels, modifications, tools and other material for [[Doom engine]] games. The archive started on the [[Wikipedia:File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] services of [[Wikipedia:Indiana University|Indiana University]] and was later for many years hosted at the FTP site on founded in {{wptimeline|Walnut Creek CDROM1994}}, also known by its domain name of cdrom.com. In 2001 it was forced to moveBarry Bloom, as cdrom.com would no longer host such archives. The archive can now be found and is currently hosted on the FTP site of [[gamers.org]], where it has been housed since {{timeline|2001}}. To alleviate bandwidth usageand ensure that data will not be lost, the archive is mirrored on various alternative FTP sites around the world that which are recommended for downloads.

The /idgames archive is one of three sister FTP archives for game add-ons, also including a [[Quake]] & Quake II engine archive (''/idgames2'') and an [[Wikipedia:{{wp|Unreal(video game series)|Unreal]] }} archive (''/unreal''). Of the three, only the idgames archive accepts new uploads, while the other two are closed.

== Maintainers History ==After emerging from less formally organized roots The archive was preceded by an informal set of disjoint archives on various university [[Usenet Wikipedia:File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] servers, including wuarchive.wustl.edu and ftp.uwp.edu, beginning in December 1993 with the release of Doom.<ref name="odsm">[[Frans P. de Vries|Vries, Frans P. de]] (23 June 1996) [http://www.gamers.org/pub/idgames/docs/misc/milestone.txt "One DOOMed Space Marine, and the Terror He Spawned"]. rec.games.computer.doom.announce et al.</ref> The need to have a centralized and moderated location where all files could be uploaded and then mirrored from led Barry Bloom to create an authoritative ''/doom'' archive at ocf.unt.edu in March 1994.{{cite web|author=Bloom, Barry|title=***OCF.UNT.EDU NEWS***|url=https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.games.doom/Wjp0gf-zBf8/YIYsTQyD9F4J|publication=alt.games.doom|publishdate=7 April 1994}} However, administrators eventually disapproved of the use of resources, forcing a move of the primary archive to a new server at infant2.sphs.indiana.edu, at [[Wikipedia:Indiana University|UsenetIndiana University]], administered primarily by Jim Pitts beginning in May 1994.{{cite web|author=Pitts, Jim|title=infant2.sphs.indiana.edu ready to rock-n-roll|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.games.doom/HPqfnwdTTUQ/RRtVnFPgBz8J|publication=alt.games.doom|publishdate=12 May 1994}}After the release of [[DOOM II]] it was joined by a ''/doom2'' sister archive . The server at infant2 gathered a strong set of mirrors, and persisted until November 1994 when Jim Pitts lost administrative access to the server.{{cite web|author=Pitts, Jim|title=INFANT2 is moving ...|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.games.doom/qiKIL5GklfQ/VJFEOtLqL3AJ|publication=alt.games.doom|publishdate=3 November 1994}} ftp.orst.edu was promoted as a temporary primary site, but users were not able to successfully upload files to that server.{{cite web|author=[[Simon Widlake|Widlake, Simon]]|title=INFANT2... is Dead - FTP.ORST.EDU Lives|url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action/0__Yb4Zu22I/zVrVi7TiN_IJIt|publication=comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action|publishdate=7 November 1994}} The two archives were picked up a month later by {{wp|Walnut Creek CDROM}}, also known by its domain name of cdrom.com, which was already a mirror.<ref name="odsm" /> They were originally maintained administered by [[Joost Schuur ]], later joined by Jeff Makaiwi for the ''/lmps'' section. The release of [[Heretic]] prompted Joost Schuur in February 1995 to combine and reorganize the two archives into ''/idgames'', as it was henceforth known, and allow submissions for all [[Doom engine]] games. In April 1996, with [[Quake]] soon to be released, he founded and moved on to administrate the ''idgames2'' archive. In October 2001, cdrom.com was purchased by a new parent company and announced that it would no longer host such archives.{{cite web|author=[[Ty Halderman|Halderman, Ty]] and [[Frans P. de Vries]]|title=Archive situation at cdrom.com|url=http://www.bluesnews.com/a/220/archive-situation-at-cdrom-com|publication=Blue's News|publishdate=1 October 2001|accessdate=29 January 2016}}That same month the archive was moved to its present location at ftp.gamers.org (which was already a mirror),{{cite web|author=[[Ty Halderman|Halderman, Ty]] and [[Frans P. de Vries]]|title=DOOM, Quake, Unreal archives re-opened|url=http://www.bluesnews.com/a/232/doom-quake-unreal-archives-re-opened|publication=Blue's News|publishdate=11 October 2001|accessdate=29 January 2016}} with the latter active primary download server hosted at 3darchives.in-span.net, until its discontinuation in January 2005. ===Modern maintainers===[[Frans P. de Vries]] became the primary maintainer in December 1995 and remained in that role until February 1997, when he passed the role it on to [[Ty Halderman]]. Ty Halderman held the role without interruption until an extended medical leave in April 2015, when illness prevented him from continuing his duties,{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.doomworld.com/vb/post/1375733|title=Looking for a new idgames maintainer|author=[[Frans P. de Vries|de Vries, Frans P.de]]|publication=[[Doomworld Forums]]|publishdate=28 May 2015|retrievedate=31 May 2015}} during at which point [[Bill Koch (Bloodshedder)]] and [[Eric Baker (The Green Herring)]] were named interim maintainers. After TyHalderman's death in July 2015,{{cite web|author=Saffy|url=httphttps://www.doomworld.com/vb/post/1409629|title=Nothing new on idgames lately|publishdate=16 August 2015|accessdate=16 August 2015|publication=[[Doomworld Forums]]}} Koch and Baker were retained as the current administratorsnew maintainers.

* [ftp://ftp.gamers.org/pub/idgames/ idgames archive (in FloridaVirginia, USA)] (also as [http://www.gamers.org/pub/idgames/ HTTP])

* [ftphttp://mirrors.syringanetworks.net/idgames/ idgames mirror in Idaho, USA] (primary download server, also as [ftp://mirrors.syringanetworks.net/idgames/ FTP])* [http://ftp.mancubus.net/pub/idgames/ idgames mirror in Texas, USA]

* [httphttps://ftpwww.mancubusquaddicted.netcom/pubfiles/idgames/ idgames mirror in Texas, USAGermany] (also as [ftp://mancubus.net/pub/idgames/ FTP])

* [http://webwww.archivegamers.org/web/20070813222855/http://www.3dgamers.com/aboutftp/archives.html Older "aboutAbout" page] on the [[Wikipedia:Internet Archive|Internet Archivegamers.org]] * [httphttps://www.doomworld.com/idgames/ Archive database] on [[Doomworld]]